Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), EAD has signed a Framework Partnership Agreement with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The agency becomes the first entity in West Asia to establish this level of institutional partnership, marking a new phase in a long-standing collaboration that has advanced conservation science, species protection and global dialogue for nearly two decades.
This agreement was signed in the presence of His Excellency Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi, Vice Chairman of EAD’s Board of Directors, and Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of IUCN.
Through the partnership, EAD will contribute to IUCN’s global agenda, strategic priorities and scientific programmes. Over the next four years, the agency will support international action in biodiversity conservation, species recovery, ecosystem protection and nature-positive development, translating these priorities into sustained institutional commitments.
EAD has been an IUCN Member since 2012 and has collaborated closely with its global network across multiple programmes. Since 2008, the agency has hosted every IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Leaders’ Meeting, the union’s largest scientific network, cementing a relationship that has contributed to key global initiatives, including the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the Abu Dhabi Red List of Ecosystems. EAD has also partnered with IUCN to identify Key Biodiversity Areas and in developing the UAE National Invasive Species Strategy and Action Plan.
The agreement builds on the momentum from the eighth IUCN World Conservation Congress held in Abu Dhabi, in October 2025. The landmark event brought together more than 10,000 delegates from governments, civil society, indigenous peoples, the private sector and academia.
EAD’s Framework Partnership is a direct institutional response to the Abu Dhabi Call to Action, translating that momentum into a long-term, multi-year commitment across the congress’s five priority areas: reaffirming nature as the foundation of human and planetary well-being; strengthening multilateralism and the power of collective action, cooperation and leadership; ensuring justice, inclusive and equitable participation by the whole of society; advancing science, knowledge, innovation and education for action; and scaling up and aligning resources for nature and climate action.
The partnership builds on more than five decades of environmental stewardship inspired by the late Sheikh Zayed, a vision that continues to shape Abu Dhabi’s record of conservation leadership. Twenty per cent of the emirate is now under protection through the Zayed Network of Protected Areas, which currently includes 18 terrestrial and six marine reserves. Dugong populations have risen to 3,500 individuals, while turtle populations have reached 8,000. More than 51 million mangrove seedlings have been planted across the emirate, and Abu Dhabi has supported one of the most significant species recovery stories of the modern conservation era: the reintroduction of the Scimitar-horned Oryx in Chad, which contributed to the species being reclassified from Extinct in the Wild to Endangered.
Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, Vice Chair of the Global Council on SDG14, said: “Our Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed, defined the environment as an inseparable part of our history, heritage and future. That principle continues to guide EAD’s science, policy and conservation work, and underpins Abu Dhabi’s growing contribution to international conservation.
“As we move toward the 2030 targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework, this is our moment to match ambition with action. As a Framework Partner, EAD will continue to bring sustained, dedicated investment to programmes that turn commitment into measurable outcomes for biodiversity, ecosystems, and the generations to come. This partnership elevates EAD’s local and regional conservation priorities onto IUCN’s global agenda, ensuring the realities of our region shape the decisions that define the future of nature.”
Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of IUCN, said: “Abu Dhabi’s commitment to become a Framework Partner is a testament to the UAE’s sustained championship of nature as essential to people, progress and the planet. This partnership reflects the direction set by the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Call to Action. By becoming a Framework Partner, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi is making a sustained contribution to IUCN’s work with members, commissions and partners to turn global ambition into measurable impact for nature.”
Dr Grethel Aguilar, Director General of IUCN, said: “At a time when biodiversity loss and mounting environmental challenges demand urgent action, we warmly welcome and celebrate EAD’s decision to become IUCN’s newest Framework Partner, the first in the West Asia. This partnership reflects Abu Dhabi’s bold and enduring commitment to protecting nature at the pace and scale that our planet requires. EAD brings scientific excellence, regional leadership, and a proven track record of delivering on environmental goals. We are deeply grateful and proud to have, once more, EAD as a strategic partner of IUCN, and we look forward to working together to achieve lasting outcomes for nature and people.”
